Transmission control



May 24, 1927.

R. W. KEELER TRANSMISSION CONTROL 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1s. 1926 MP-'y 24 192:7 R. w. KEELER TRANSMISSION CONTROL 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuento RJL/fe ele/1 un ww 4 2 O May 2 19 7 R. w. KEI-:LER

TRANSMISSIOTL CONTROL 4 Sheet-s-Sheet 3 Filed July 13; 1926 'lvl lllvllll wie uns.

R14/:Keeler May 24, 1927. y 1,629,666

R. W. KEELER TRANSMISSION CONTROL Filed July 13. 1926 4 sheets-sheet 4 I" ,1' gru/vento@ if; f '26@ 26a. Ringel /C2 LU. 250 aghi?. /Lmq Patented 2d. 1927.

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Unir-iin afterlife PATENT oFF-lcs.

R- YMOND'V. KEELER, .OF GALION,' 0KB), ASSIGNOR TO THE GALONYIRON "WORKS c MFG. CO., OF GALIQN, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TRANsMissIoiv CONTROL.

application ined July 1.3, .1526. yserial No. 122,259.

This invention relates to improvements in transmission controls and more particularly to a control for transmissions of heavy road rollers and the like.

The transmissions of road rollers vare ordinarily eqnippcdv Vwith three sept ate control elements operating rto clutch the speed selection mechanism and thedirection selection kmechanism. respectively. Therefore, in the ordinary transmiss-ion,V if it is desired to. change the direction of operation of the roller, it is necessary that the operator employ either both hands or a 'hand and a foot' in the operation of ythe controls.

,lilith such heavy mechanisms, it is. of

course. advisable that at all times. when any change of `direction of operation of the roller is being made, that the clutch be disengaged, as otherwise ythe 'heavy roller, continuing-in its movement, rillcause considerablewear and tear upon the gears. lVliere the operation requires tlieuse of both hands, or one hand and one foot .of the operator, it vvis diilicult to properly synchronize the movements of the levers and to insure proper disei'igagement of the ciutch before y the gears are shifted. It. is accordingly an important object of the present invention to provide a construction wherein operation of the clutch and direction changing controls of the transmission lare intei'locked, so that no operation of the direction changing mechanism can take place until the clutch is properly disengaged.

*i further and important object of the invention is to provide a device of this characler wherein the clutch control, upon a predetermined operation thereof, unlocks a normally loched control for the direction changing mechanism. permitting the same to :be in red from n neutral position to either of sitio-ns, representing diferent direc.- i'ioiis of operation of the roller, the mounte ch 'being such that the clutch after unleclriiig and shifting the direction control.l is caused to .engage the c'utc'h sections by a contiimed movement thereof in the me direction.

:i still furtherobject of the invention is lo provide :i device of this character Wherein the clutch independently manipulatable when def-i c. so that the clutch ,may be disci;A ed i hoi t rhing the direction contiols when cha thcspeedof operati t 'ie roller. Y

tration is shown a preferred embodiment oi f ymy invention .and wherein Figure 1 is a plan vieiv partially broken laway-of a transmission and control mechanism therefor constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a control mechanism;

Figure 3r is an enlarged Vsectional view through a. portion of the transmission showing the arrangement of the clutch control mechanism whereby movement of the clutch control lever to either side of a centralpoint engages the clutchsections;

Figure 4L is a section on the line /1-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section on the lline 5)-5 of Figure 1;

` Figure G isa section on the line 6-6 of Figure 4; Figure 7 is a combined'plan of the sections of the control segment detached.

Figure 8 is an elevation of the upper end of one of the control levers employed.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a transmission including la clutch operator 11, a speed selector 1Q, and a direction selector 13. ln the present illustration, the clutch operator is illustratedas a rotatable shaft 14 having a shifting fork 15V for coaction With the movable member 16 of the clutch. The speed selector is shown as comprising the usual shaft 17 slidably directed through a casing4 and having thereon a fork18 co-operating with a siiftable conipound pinion yunit 19 to engage the elements thereof With gears 20. 'The direction selectoi" comprises a longitudinally shiftable shaftQl having means .22 thereon for clutching the shaft to either of two gea-rs 23 and 2% Which are oppositely driven by va pinion 25 upon the .output shaft 26 of the speed changing section of the transmission. It `will. of course, be obvious `that these portions of the mechanism arevmerely for the purpose of illustration and may consist of corresponding parts of 'any suitable transmission.k

The numeral 25 designates any suit-able support, such as .the 'decir of the tractor, and upon .this support, l mount bearings or supports 26a for a shaft 27. One of these supports is in the form of a plate 29 suitably secured to and spaced from the side wall 30 of the deck and the upper surface 3l of this plate is arcuately curved with the axis of the shaft 27 as a center. A similarly curved arcuate plate 32 is provided, this plate having at its ends at opposite side faces thereof protruding lugs and The lugs 33 abut the'plate 29 while against the lugs 34 which are disposed at the outer face of the plate is secured a'scgment strap 35, the upper edge of which is arcuately curved to correspond to the curvature of the upper edges of the plates 29 and The lugs 33 and 34 maintain the edges of the plate in spaced relation to the plate 29 and bar to thereby provide lever slots 36 and 37. The inner edge of the plate 32 is formed with a centrally located notch 38, while the upper edge thereof is formed with three notches 39, 40 and 4i. rl`he upper surface of the segment bar is provided with two notches 42 and Upon the shaft 27 are mounted three levers 44, 45 and 46. The lever 44 operates in the slot 36 between the plates 32 and 29, the lever within the notch 38 of the plate 32 and the lever 46 within the slot 37 between the plate and segment bar 35.

The lever 44 has a handle 47 and has connected thereto one end of a link 48 for controlling the clutch operator. rlhe opposite end of this link is connected to one end of a lever 49 pivoted intermediate its ends upon a pivot. 5() spaced above one end of the shaft 14. The shaft 14 has extending therefrom an arm 6l, the end of which is connected ,with the opposite end of lever 49 by a link 52 pivoted to each thereof, as indicated at 53 and It will be noted that in the central position of the lever 44. the pivotal connections 53 and 54 of the link 52 with the arm and the lever, the pivotal connection 50 of the lever and the pivotal connection of the lever 49 with the link 48 are aligned. It, therefore, follo vs that if the .lever 44 is shifted to either side of its central position, so that the alignment of these pivots is broken, the clutch spring 56 which constantly urges the movable member 16 and the clutch in the direction of the arrow of Figure 3, will tend to cause a continued movement of the lever in this direction. Thus, `the sections of the clutch may be engaged with the lever at either end of its slot. The lever 45 has connected thereto one end of a link 57, the opposite end of which is connected with one arm of a bell crank lever 58, the other arm of which provides a shifting fork 59 for shifting the shaft 2l of the direction selecting mechanism 13. The lever 46 has connected thereto one end of a link 60, the opposite end of which is connected to the shaft 17 to provide a means for shifting the fork 18. This last named lever is provided with a handle 46 and the latch 6l for engagement in the notches 42 and 43 of the segment bar. This latch is shown as provided with a conventional release mechanism 62 usuallyv provided upon such a lever.

' The lever has no handle and has formed upon the upper' end thereof an angularly directed head 63 which overlies the upper face of the plate Arising from the sides of this head are vertically extending fianges 64, the upper ends of which are connected by a cross bar In the head 63 a vertical bore 66 is formed and the cross bar 65 has a threaded opening 67 axially alinged with this opening.V Threaded in the opening 67 is a plunger cap 68 having a bore 69 receiving the upper end of a plunger 70, the lower end of which is slidably directed through the bore 66 of the head. This plunger is directed through a vertically extending sleeve 7l and above the upper end of the sleeve is a anged shoulder 72. Between this flanged shoulder 72 and the plunger cap, a spring 73 surrounds the plunger and constantly urges `the same down wardly. Between the flanges 64, a plunger trip lever 74 is mounted for oscillation upon a horizontal pivot 75. rlhis trip lever embodies arms 76 and 77, the arm 76 being forked, yto form members for engagement with lugs 7 8 formed upon opposite sides of the sleeve 7l. The sleeve 7l, by its engagement with the upper surface of the head 63, limits downward movement of the plunger and accordingly oscillatory movement of the trip lever in one direction. When the trip lever is in this position, the other arm 77 is project-ed beyond the inner face of the lever and between the flanges 79 extending inwardly from this inner face. These tlanges have their adjacent faces spaced apart a distance such that-the lever 44 may be eX- tended therebetween to engagethe arm 77 of the trip lever and thereby elevate the arm 76 thereof and plunger 70. T he plunger 70, vwhen in its lowermost position, engages in one of the three notches 39, 40 and 4l formed on the outer edge of the plate In operation, when the lever 45 has the plunger thereof engaged in the notch 40 of the plate 32, the direction selector is in intermediate or neutral position and there is no transmission of drive from the outward shaft 26 of the speed change mechanism to the output shaft or shafts of the tntnsmission, not shown. Accordingly, at this time, the speed selection can he made without any danger whatever of dannige to the gears of the speed changing rnechanissm. A speed having been selected, the neXt Voperation is to shift the lever 44 through its handle 47 from the end of the slot 36 at which it happens to be located to the center thereof, so that it aligns with the space between the flanges 79 llt) llS

l il l) lili) 'upon the iinner face of the lever 45. "This moveinentotl lthe -lever 44`to central position Vdisconnects the clutch.y The lever 44, the

pivot 44a of V`which issnch asi'o permit oscilV Wlvhen the plunger is `properly aligned with the notch,- the handle ilot'ithe lever 44 may ,'bereleased. Thespring T3 willthen act to urge 'the ;plunger 70 and sleeve 7l downwardly, with 'the result thatlt'he arm 7T the trip lever 'F4-moves inwardly, forcing the lever 44 from between the llangcs 79. As :the pivots 5G, 53, 54, and 55 are now no longer aligned, vthe springV 56 is acting `to urge 'the -lever 44 to that end of the slot 36 4toward which it'has beenv moved, with the 'result that the ilever will anton'iatically slii'tt to this end of the slot, permitting the clutch Asections to engage and placingfthe roller in operation. It', during operation, selection va higher speed -is desired, the clutch lever 44 may be moved tothe central position without disturbing the lever A45 Vand the lever 46 shifted 'to 'its new position.

`It will, of course, bev obvious tha-t the varions connectionsemployed must necessarily be slightlyaltered in Aadapting them to different ltypes of transmissions. Other changes being vpossible without -in any manner departing from the spirit ol `the invention. lf do not limit myself to the,k specific structure hereinbetore rset forth except as hereiiiatter claimed.

l. ln combination with mechanism including a. clutch and directions selection mechanism having` foi-ward,reverse and neutral positions. van operating control lever for the direction vselection mechanism having 'a `latch whereby it `:is 'locked against movement in each vof the positions ol' the direction selection mechanism and "a' con-trol lever lfor said clutch alignable vwith vthe Afirst named control lever in any of the positions ot said directionselection meehanisni and when aligned therewith disengagi-ng the sections fol vrthe cintch, said clutchl control lever being operable `to release the flatcli ofthe control Vmember and when positioned to release lthe latch of the control 'inen'iber having yengagement with lthe control ynieniber whereby y'the `control member shifts tlierewith.

In combination with a vehicle transa transmission.

mission `inclndiing' a clutch having .a .mov-

nism .having foi-ward, reverse and"tne.u

tral positions, a control lever -for'the clutch I connections between the control lever and inoivable'member oit' the yclutch .whereby the movable member ische-'engaged ywhen the control 'lever is at or adjacent the centcrotits travel and is engaged when the :lever is at either limit loii'its travel, acontrol fleverffor the direction control mechanism, connections fbetween the direction control mechanism kand the last named control lever whereby-'the control llever is at the center ot its travel -when v'the direction control mechanism is in neutral and v'a rlatch 'tor the last named .control lever engageable and releasable Abyu ypredetermined operation of the .first .named control `lever when the Sfirst named .contr-.dl

.lever is aligned with the last named control lever and the clutch sections are disengaged to thereby pei-mit the last named control lever to move with the Ilirst named control lever. f y I 3. In combination with a vehicle transmission including a clutch having a movable member spring-nrged .to clutch engaging position andV a direction control mechanism having forward, reverse and neutral positions, a vcontrol lever .torvthe clutch connections between the control lever and mov- -able memberloi" the clutch whereby the Imov able member is disengaged when the control lever is at or adjacent the center of its travel and is engaged when the lever is ateither limitot its travel, a control lever orfthedirection control mechanism, connections Vbever 'and the clutch sectionsare disengaged yto thereby permit the last named control lever .toinove with the first named vcontrol lever,

the first and last named control levers having engagement with one another whereby the last named control klever .is moved :with

ythe first named lever while the first namedv forward,reverse and .nent-ral7 positions,

a control :lever orrth-eclntch connections vbe- 'tweeii the control lever vand movable member of lthe .clutch whereby the movable memberpis disengaged whenlthe A,control lever :is at or adjacent thecenter ot its travel and --ls lll() 'lilo engaged when the lever is at either limit of its travel, a control lever for the direction control mechanism, connections between the direction c ntrol mechanism and the last Vnamed control lever whereby the control lelever when the tirst named control lever is aligned with the last named control lever and the clutch sections are disengaged to thereby permit the last named control lever to move with the. tiret named control lever, the first and last named control levers having engagen'ient with one another whereby the last named control lever is moved with the tirst named lever while the lirst named control lever is in latch disengaging position, the connectionsl between the movable member ot the clutch and the control lever thereter applying the pressure ot the .spring to move the control lever to either limit ot its travel when the control lever is initially moved toward either limit ,trom its central position.

5. lu combination with a vehicle transmis sion including a clutch having a n'iovablc member spring-urged to clutch engaging position and a direction control mechanism having forward, rt-verse and neutral positions, a control lever tor the clutch com nections between the control lever and movable member of the clutch whereby the movable member is disengaged when the control lever is at or adjacentA the center ot its travel and is engaged when the lever is at either limit of its travel, a control lever tor the direction control mechanism, connections between the direction control mechanism and the last named control lever whereby the control lever is a" the center ot its travel when the direction control mechanism is in neutral and a latch t'or the last named control lever engageable and releasable by a predetern'iined operation o'iE the tirst named control lever when the tirst named control lever is aligned with the last named control lever and the clutci sections are disengaged to thereby permit thc lr named control lever to move with the tirst named control lever, the lirstI and lastnamed control levers having engagement with one another whereby the last named control lever is moved with the tirst named lever while the first named control lever is in latch disengaging position, the connections between the movable member ot the clutch and the control lever theretor applying the pressure o1"l the spring to move the control lever to either limit ot its travel when the control lever is initially .moved toward either limit from its central position, thelatch operating mechanism including a part acting to disengage the tirst and last named control levers whereby release of the handle of the clutch control lever, after an operation thereoit to move the direction control lever Ato either reverse or forward positions, causes disengagment ot the control levers and permits application of the spring pressure ot the movable member ot thel clutch to shi'ttthe clutch control lever to the adj acent limit ot its travel. f

G. ln combination, two control levers, one lever having a latch whereby it is held against movement in any of a plurality of positions, gearing controlled by said lever, a clutch controlled by the other lever, said other lever having a neutral position and a clutch engaging position and maintaining' the sections ot the clutch disengaged during the travel ot the last named lever vcorre'- sponding to the travel ofthe firstA named lever, a spring urging the last named lever to clutch engaging position when theI lever is primarily shifted from its neutral posilion toward its clutch engaging position, the last named lever having coacting with the iii-st. named lever whereby a predetermined operation thereotdisengages the latch of the first named lever and engages said levers with one another to thereby permit movemem', ot the iirst named lever by the last named lever. y

i". ln combination, two control levers, one lever having a latch whereby it is held against movementvin any of a plurality of positions, gearing controlled by said lever, a clutch controlled by the other lever, said other lever having a nentral7 position and a clutch engaging position and maintaining the sections oll the clutch disengaged during the travel ot' the last named lever corresponding to the travel ot the tirst named lever, a spring urging the last named lever to clutch engaging position when the lever is primarily shitted trom its nentral position toward its clutch engaging position, the last named lever havinol coaction with the first named lever whereby a predetermined operation thereof 'disenga'gcs the latch of the tirst named lever and engages said levers with one another to thereby permit movement of the iirst named lever by the last named lever, the coi'inections between the last named leve-r and the latch whereby the latch is disengaged acting to terminate engagement of the levers when the tirst named lever is released to thereby permit said spring to urge. the last named lever to clutch engaging position.

S. ln combination with a transmission mechanism including a clutch and direction selection mechanism having forwarc, reverse" and neutral7 positions, an operating control lever tor the direction selection mech` anism having a latchvwhereby it is locked against movement in each of the lpositions ot' the direction selection mechanism and a centrcl lever for said clutch alignable with the' `first .named control inei'nber in any of the positions of said direct-"ion selection mech- 'a'nism and when aligned therewith disengaging thel sect-'ions' of tlieclutch, said clutch control le've'rfbeing' operabl'eto release the latch of thecontrol member and when positioned tot release the latch of the control member h'avingrv engagement with the control' member whereby the control' member shifts therewith, the connections between-the clutch cont'rol lever and the'lat'chof the control memberincluding a part terminating engagement of said levers when the clutch control lever is released.

9. In combination with a transmission mechanism including a clutch and direction selection mechanism having forwarc reverse'and neutral positions, an operating control lever for the direction selectionA mechanism having a latch whereby it is locked against movement in each of the positions of the direction selection mechanism, a control lever for said clutch alignable with the first named control member in any of the positions of said direction selection mechanism and when aligned therewith disengaging the sections of the clutch, said clutch control lever heilig operable to release the latch of the control member and when positioned to release the latch of the control member having engagement with the control member whereby the control member shifts therewith, the connections between the clutch control lever and the latch of the control member including fa part terminating engagement of said levers when the clutch control lever is released andl a spring urging the clutch control lever to the clutch engaging position when disengaged from the control member.

10. In combination with a transmission mechanism including a clutch and direction selection mechanism having forwarch reverse and neutral positions, an operating control .lever for the direction 'selection mechanism having a latch whereby it is locked against movement in each of the positions of the direction selection mechanism and a control lever for said clutch alignable with the first named -control member in any of the positions of said direction selection mechanism and when aligned therewith dis` engaging the sections of the clutch, said clutch control lever being operable to Vrelease the latch of the control member, the control member having spaced flanges between which the clutch lever engages when positioned to release the latch.

11. In combination with a transmission mechanism including a clutch and direction selection mechanism having forwarch7 reverse and neutral positions, an Voperating control lever for the direction selection mechanism having a latch whereby it is controlv lever for' said clutch alignabl'e with-1 the first named' control member in any" of the positions of `said direction selection.'-

mechanism and when aligned= therewith disengaging thev sections of the clutch, saidl clutchE control lever being operable to release the latch of the control' member, the! control' member having spaced' flanges between which the clutch lever engages when posi"- tioned to release the'latch, said: latch bei-nf spring-urged toits latchingi position an f a bell crank lever pivoted upon the control lever having one arm thereof operativelyy engaged with the latch and the other arm thereof` normally disposed between said flanges and in the path or' the clutch lever.

12. In combination with a lever pivoted to swing in a given plane, a second lever adjacent' the first named lever and swingable in a plane parallel to the first named lever and movable toward and away from the first named lever, the first named lever having means providing opposed walls betweenv i which the last named lever is engageable to thereby permit the first named lever to be moved by the 'last named lever, a latch for the first named lever and a control member for the latch including a part projecting between said walls and engaged by the last `named lever as it is moved between said walls and thereby shift to release the latch. 13. In combination with a transmission` mechanism including a clutch and direction selection mechanism having forward, reverse aand neutral positions, an operating control lever for the direction selection mechanism having a latch whereby it is locked against movement in each of the positions of the direction selection mechanism and a control lever for the clutch operable to release the latch of the first named control lever in any ot' the positions thereof.

' 14. In combination with a. transmission mechanism including a clutch and direction selection mechanism having fora-ard,l reverse and neutral positions. an operating control lever for the direction selection mechanism having a latch whereby it is locked against movement in each of the positions of the direction selection mechanism and a control lever for the clutch operable to release the latch of the first named control levei inl any of the positions thereof and when positioned to release the latch of the control member having engagement with the control member whereby the control member shifts therewith.

ll'In combination with a transmission mechanism including a clutch and direction selection mechanism havingr forward reverse and neutral positions, an operating control lever for the direction selection mechanism having a latch `whereby it is lever in any ot the positions thereof and when positioned to release the latch disengaggingr the sections of the clutch.

16. In combination with transmission mechanism includinga clutch and direction 'selection mechanism having;- forwarch re verse and neutral positions` an operating control lever for the direction selection mechanism having a latch whereby it is locked against movement in each of the positions of thedirection selection mechanism and a control lever for the clutch operable to release the latch of thelirst named control lever in amT of the positions thereof and when positioned to release the latch disengaging the sections of the clutch and when positioned to release the latch of the control member having' engagement with the control member whereby the control nieniher shifts therewith.

In testilnonv whereof I aliix my signature.

RAYMON D W. KEELER. 

